§ 1. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the future of Fenton Farm; and if he will consult the Minister of Housing and Local Government, the city council of Stoke-on-Trent and the National Coal Board, with a view to taking over the farm and the construction of an enlarged modern Fenton to be planned like the new towns.
Mr. VaneOn expiry of the lease in September the farm will return to the owners, the National Coal Board. The future use of the land, for which provision is made in the local development plan, will be a matter for the owners and the planning authority.
§ 2. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what terms Fenton Farm was purchasd or leased; what have been the total costs since it was taken over; what income has been received; whether the lessons learned there have been applied in other areas; what has been responsible for the noxious deposits; and what steps have been taken to obviate their effects in and around Blythe Bridge and Trentham.
Mr. VaneFenton Manor Farm is leased from the National Coal Board, at an annual rent of £254 and on terms broadly similar to those existing between any other agricultural landlord and tenant, for a period of 8 years ending on the 29th September, 1961. Up to the end of March, 1961, the total direct cost of leasing and running the farm was about £47,000 and receipts from sales of produce were about £20,000. In addition animals to the value of £7,000 have been transferred to the Central Veterinary Laboratory.
The Veterinary Investigation Service takes every opportunity to inform the veterinary profession in this and other areas of the lessons learnt. A wide variety of industrial processes are carried out in the Fenton district, most of which to some degree or other contribute to air pollution. The control of industrial emis- 66W sions is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister of Housing and Local Government.